… is a few more bread books!

I’ve been checking out a few bread books on line and adding them to my mental Christmas wishlist.  It’s probably time to start dropping a few hints here and there to my nearest and dearest, as well as thinking about which recipe books my family and friends would enjoy exploring for themselves.  One of the added benefits of giving cook books for Christmas is that in return, you often get to enjoy the results of new experiments!

This year I’m hoping to broaden my baking skills with some more dabbling in sourdough and artisan breads.  Here’s my shortlist.  What would you like to be drooling through on your Christmas Day?

blank line

1.  Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson

blank line

blank line

How could I not want to try this after watching this video?

blank line

2.  Healthy Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

blank line

Their first book was sensational.  I can’t believe I haven’t managed to get this new adaptation on my shelf yet!

blank line

3.  Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Bread Every Day by Peter Reinhart

blank line

This approach is meant to be “slightly more involved but much more productive than the limited classic no-knead method”, which sounds fabulous to me.

blank line

4.  Advanced Bread and Pastry by Michel Suas

OK, so this one is for serious baking when I actually want to be precise about what I’m doing and understand the craft of bread making.  I don’t have many days like this (too much fun doing family life!), but when I do I need a good resource to plough into.  This looks like a good one.

blank line

blank line

blank line

blank line

blank line

blank line

blank line

5.  The River Cottage Bread Handbook by Daniel Stevens

blank line

blank line

blank line

blank line

I absolutely loved the television series, and have been secretly desiring this book for a while now.

Now I love my bread books and I’m not keen to part with them, but to be honest I don’t usually pay top-dollar for them either.  Just lately when I’ve been browsing for new bread books I’ve found some ridiculously high prices on second hand books that make me gasp (or giggle, depending on my mood!).  I can understand a serious book collector going all out for a first edition in pristine condition, but how does that work for cook books?  Aren’t they designed to be used?  Sometimes these expensive books are in ‘fine’ used condition.  I’m sure they’re lovely and crisp, but is that worth an extra hundred dollars?  I guess how we value things is more personal than I thought.

Here are some screenshots from various bookstores, showing books I reckon could safely be called ‘overpriced’.  The date of the screenshot is underneath, and yes, there is a link if you’re really keen to buy!  (The links will go out of date eventually, or if we’re lucky, the price could come down…)

For me, I kinda like the sense of history that comes with a second hand bread book, with evidence of pages turned with floury fingers on a busy kitchen bench.  And I don’t mind paying bottom dollar for it either!

A ‘fine’ used copy of Linda Collister’s The Bread Book,  although on the same day you could find an ‘acceptable’ copy for only $0.75 at half.com!  (2 November 2010 )

Donna Rathmell German’s The Bread Machine Cookbook, here valued at $999.99!  Although I suppose you could go for a used copy of the original edition for $0.75, if you wanted…  (2 November 2010)

The bread book
by Linda Collister

The Bread Book at half.com
blank line

The bread machine cookbook III
by Donna Rathmell German

The recipes in this bread book are spread across a range of flavors and tastes: white and whole grain breads, fruit and vegetable breads, sourdough, as well as spice, herb, coffee cake and dough cycle breads.

The bread machine cookbook III continues to add interesting and original recipes to the collections in volumes I and II.  Recipes are clearly presented and easy to follow, with provision for 1 pound, 1.5 pound and 2 pound loaves in the ingredient lists.

This volume adds detailed sections on both nut breads and toppings and fillings.  A few of the delicious recipes are orange ginger bread, cranberry orange bread, jalapeno corn bread, Anadama bread, and a double chocolate chip bread.

Special mention is made of ingredients for bread as well as the multiple substitutions possible with a bread machine.  Rather than one section on troubleshooting, here the helpful hints and tips to refine loaves are explained throughout the book.

While those new to bread machine baking should probably start with volume I (which covers all the basics), those looking to extend their usual range of flavors and ingredients will thoroughly enjoy The bread machine cookbook III.

blank line

Bread in half the time
by Linda West Eckhardt and Diani Collingwood Butts

This is ‘the’ bread book on using your microwave oven to speed up the rising process and thus reduce the time taken to make bread from start to finish.  It is a massive book and loaded with clear illustrations and instructions on the micro-rise process.  The sub-title is ‘Use your microwave and food processor to make real yeast bread in 90 minutes’, and although while it may take a little longer than that while getting used to the new routine, it is still much quicker than the classic method of making yeasted bread.

This book is enjoyable both to read and to use, and the micro-rise approach is actually quite straightforward once the basic concepts are grasped.  It is important to follow the instructions about determining the length of time to heat the dough in your microwave, as microwave ovens do vary in their strength.  It’s exciting to see the dough rise so quickly, before your eyes.  There is a different rhythm to the bread making process, and being rewarded with fresh and tasty bread so soon is very satisfying.

The introductory section is quite detailed, with helpful information on the usual bread making ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, yeast, eggs, fat) as well as the range of kitchen utensils that can be used in making micro-rise bread.  More exciting is the wide range of recipes for using the micro-rise process, which fills about 200 pages.  Included next to the recipes are quotes, antecdotes, bread facts and associated recipes which enhance the book’s appeal.  Who would have thought you could make black bread as well as French bread, pizza dough and fougasse using a food processor and microwave?

The remainder of the book is devoted to bread machine recipes, primarily with the bread machine mixing and rising the dough, then shaping by hand before baking.  The multiple illustrations showing how to shape various breads are very clear and helpful.  Recipes include basic breads to health breads, brunch breads to flatbreads, bagels and buns to sweet breads.

This is a work book, and not one for the coffee table.  Be prepared to have it open in the kitchen and point floury fingers to the page for the next instruction until you get the hang of it. If you enjoy trying out new techniques, or want your bread ready in a shorter amount of time, then this book is well worth having.  The 160 plus recipes are enormously varied, so there is also sure to be inspiration to get into the kitchen and try out some new flavour combinations.

blank line

The bread machine cookbook II
by Donna Rathmell German

Breads from the La Brea Bakery
by Nancy Silverton

This bread book is based on a classic method of creating bread with a natural yeast starter. It is not about a quick glance at a recipe and throwing a few ingredients together, but understanding the process well first and then embarking on a bread making journey. Not everyone will want to go on that journey. So if you are new to baking your own bread this may not be the ideal bread book for you, yet.

Commercial yeast is, in many ways, about simplicity and speed. Traditional bread making is not about speed, and neither is establishing a traditional starter. It’s a simple combination of flour and water designed to foster wild yeasts in a two week process. Yes, wild, air-borne yeast. And yes, two weeks until the starter is ready for use in its first loaf of bread. Many breads even take up to two days to get to the finished product after this. But this is the whole point – allowing time to do its traditional work in bread making. And the wait is worth it. There is nothing artificial about this bread, including the process. It is not about speed and shortcuts. Expect to plan ahead.

While the process will not appeal to everyone, this is a stunning book. Nancy Silverton established the La Brea Bakery, Los Angeles, which is the source of the title and recipes in this bread book – breads she produced at La Brea Bakery. These range from the more typical breads like baguettes and focaccia, to specialty breads like walnut bread, fig anise bread, chocolate sour cherry bread, and potato dill bread. Those who prefer working in baker’s percentages may, however, be disappointed to find the recipes are volume based. It would not be difficult for an adventurous cook to try the wonderful combinations of ingredients here using active dry yeast instead of the more complex starter.

Silverton begins with an almost scientific description of bread ingredients and their function (‘The elements of bread’), and goes on to cover the tools required, then ‘A lesson in breadmaking’. Recipes are categorised by the starter needed: white, whole wheat or rye. The final chapter provides options for using starter that would otherwise be thrown away, which helps reduce waste.

In essence, this book is a detailed tutorial on bread creation. The basic white bread is explained so intricately that it covers thirty pages, with ten on creating a starter and twenty on producing the dough and baking it. As there are a limited number of photographs of the breads themselves, sometimes the written descriptions in the recipes allow for some uncertainty as to when to stop kneading or baking. It is good to refer to ‘A lesson in breadmaking’ for clarification where possible. Silverton aims to explain ‘why’ as well as ‘how’, which will ultimately provide the freedom to begin creating your own personal specialty breads at home.

It is extremely satisfying to know you have captured and fostered wild yeast to make your own bread. Home bread bakers don’t usually start at this point, but if this is your new ambition you will find all the tools to achieve your goal here, plus plenty of encouragement along the way. It should also be said that while there is a lot of waiting involved the actual work you will personally provide is quite minimal.

blank line

The bread machine cookbook
by Donna Rathmell German

In the early 1990s, Donna Rathmell German produced a series of six bread machine books, plus one with Ed Wood.

The bread machine cookbook (1991, revised 2005)
The bread machine cookbook II (1991)
The bread machine cookbook III (1992)
The bread machine cookbook IV: whole grains and natural sugars (1992)
The bread machine cookbook V: favorite recipes from 100 kitchens (1994)
The bread machine cookbook VI: hand-shaped breads from the dough cycle (1995)
Worldwide sourdoughs from your bread machine (1994), with Ed Wood

Then in 2002, she released The big book of bread machine recipes, pulling together 600 recipes from the series in a massive 360 pages.

The bread machine cookbook 1991

The bread machine cookbook 2005

Donna Rathmell German’s bread machine cookbooks were best sellers in the 1990s when she sold about three million copies of them.  The current reprint of the first volume is replacing many old dog-eared copies after years of faithful service in the kitchen, as people who loved the first edition are buying the new ed

ition too.

Bristol Publishing boasts that in 1991 this was the first bread machine cookbook on the market, and so far I haven’t been able to find one published before then to refute that claim. (Let me know if you find one!)  It has certainly become a classic that many bread machine users simply do not want to be without.

There are 160 pages in the 2005 revised edition, and 176 in the first edition.  Both have more than 130 recipes for white, wholegrain, cheese, fruit, vegetable, herb and spice breads, sourdough loaves, rolls, croissants and breadsticks.  The new edition adds a section on allergy baking.  There is plenty of interest for the health conscious, with whole grains, buckwheat, amaranth and barley in several recipes, plus delicious versions of crusty white and rye loaves for those who prefer the basics.  Like all excellent bread machine books, recipes appear in the three standard sizes for bread machines: 1 pound, 1.5 pound and 2 pound loaves.

The new edition is updated with information on newer bread machine models, with testing on a wide range of machines to help ensure recipes work well. As German counsels in her introductory section, however, it is always wise to check the dough during the first kneading cycle. If the consistency is too dry, then add small amounts of water at a time. If too wet, add small amounts of flour. Breadmaking, whether by hand or machine, is affected by multiple factors: flour quality, humidity and altitude to name a few. The same ingredients can actually produce different results on different days even in the same kitchen, so a quick check of the bread pan and some minor additions are quite reasonable when consistently good results are desired.

Recipes are kept to one page for easy reference, each being introduced with a review of the bread’s best qualities.  Some particularly good recipes include Christmas anise bread, crusty Cuban bread, peasant bread (great with soup), as well as other personal favorites like cream of wheat bread and jalapeno cheese bread.  With so many recipes there are bound to be some new family favorites here – and presumably also some that do not appeal, which is to be expected given the diverse range of flavors represented across all the recipes.  Once you start on the more unusual recipes it may be surprising which ones are repeatedly requested, and it can be a great adventure along the way.

German is thorough and easy to understand. The recipes are clear and easy to follow, using ingredients readily found on supermarket shelves. The trouble shooting guide is straightforward and helpful, covering all the significant problems found with bread machine baking. For example, if a recipe doesn’t ‘work’ the first time, double-check how ingredients are measured. Flour must never be scooped or packed, and can create serious problems for the resulting loaf. This is one of the more common causes of a poor loaf.

Of all in the series, this first one has the most thorough grounding in the basics plus the bread recipes most likely to be used frequently.  Beginners just starting out with a brand new bread machine would be well-served by the new edition, while old hands at bread machine baking would probably find a second-hand copy of the original just as satisfying.  If you have a bread machine in your cupboard but haven’t used it very much, getting this book may well turn you into a bread machine junkie!

blank line

Artisan bread in five minutes a day
by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg

It’s such an appealing concept. Bread like it was made by a masterchef, but made by you! Bread like it took a lifetime of learning mysterious skills, but made in five minutes of effort from a simple recipe. It’s a bread-making phenomon sweeping America. And it works.

Artisan bread in five minutes a day, by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg, was released in late 2007. The key elements are not new in themselves (no kneading, wet dough, refrigeration), but here they are combined in an innovative method. With a mere five minutes of your personal effort, the dough is ready for several hours in the fridge (even up to two weeks, if you can bear to leave any that long) before it can be shaped, rested and baked at your leisure.

The book is structured around introductory chapters (dealing with ingredients, equipment and techniques), the master recipe, and variants on the master recipe (about a hundred of them – peasant loaves, flatbreads and pizzas, enriched breads and pastries). The variety of loaves made from the master recipe is surprising and spurs the imagination into overdrive.

It really is important to read the method all the way through before getting out the ingredients. Having the big picture in mind before starting will help substantially, as well as being sure to have all the recommended hardware or suitable substitutes. For example, a baking tray covered in parchment can be used instead of pizza stone and cornmeal. The bread can also be baked in a not-stick bread pan, but will lack the free-form artisan feel of a crusty boule.

Wet dough is, not surprisingly, very sticky, so don’t be afraid of seriously well-floured hands and extra dusting on the dough when shaping it (see the video for how Jeff does it). Be gentle and try to handle it as little as possible – the goal is to keep the air in the dough, and removing it will lead to dense or thick patches in the loaf.

There are some errors in the 256 page book, and the corrections are available here.

According to the New York Times, this “may be the world’s easiest yeast bread“.  It is a well-deserved title, as can be seen in video demonstrations by Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg.  It’s just incredibly quick and simple.  Here is the ‘master recipe’:

6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
Cornmeal and extra flour for dusting

Mix the flour, yeast, salt and water in a plastic container with a lid. (See the videos for a demonstration.)  The dough will be wet and sticky, and should be mixed until no dry patches remain. Then cover (but don’t make it airtight) and let the dough rise at room temperature for two hours. From here it can be baked or put in the fridge for up to two weeks. With well-floured hands, cut off a piece of dough and form lightly into shape. Place on a cornmeal-coated pizza peel and let it rest for about 40 minutes. Heat a pizza stone in the middle of a 450 degree oven, with an old broiler pan on the bottom shelf. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife (to prevent cracking) and slide it onto stone. Pour a cup of hot water into the pan to create steam (which helps create a lovely crust). Bake for about 30 minutes then allow the bread to cool as much as possible before enjoying.

While I personally love to get my hands into the dough, there are frequently days when I need bread quickly and I really do not want to get it from the supermarket. Having a batch already in the fridge provides delicious bread painlessly. The true gourmet would likely argue there is no comparison to the refinements of kneaded artisan bread made with the highest quality ingredients, and one reviewer went as far as to say, “For real bread, use your hands!”  But for simple, fresh home-baked bread with minimal effort and maximum results from inexpensive ingredients, Artisan bread in five minutes a day is simply marvellous. This book is definitely worth adding to the kitchen library.

If you’re looking for a gift for a potential bread maker, why not try a copy of this book with a pizza peel and baking stone?  It will inspire and make them realise that they really can make great bread at home.

blank line

The bread bible
by Rose Levy Beranbaum

blank line